The Chinese zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao or Shu Xiang, features 12 animal signs in this order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. 2025 is the Year of the Snake according to Chinese zodiac, starting from the 2025 Chinese New Year on Jan. 29th and lasting to 2026 Lunar New Year's Eve on Feb. 16. 2026 is the Year of the Horse. Each Chinese lunar year has a Chinese zodiac sign animal. The Chinese zodiac year's stsarting date is a little different from the Gregorian year. It starts from Chinese New Year. The Chinese zodiac years chart below is provided to help you find out the exact starting and ending dates of the Chinese zodiac years. (This is especially useful for With Chinese New Year approaching, some may wonder why 2025 year is the Year of the Snake. Learn which Lunar New Year animal represents your birth year. Every year, a heavenly stem (one of five elements, which fall into the yin or yang category) is paired with an earthly branch (one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals). This year the heavenly stem is The Chinese zodiac includes 12 animal signs, in order they are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, marks the transition from one animal to the next—2024 is the year of the Dragon, which began on February 10th, 2024, and ends on February 24th, 2024. Happy Chinese New Year! The Year of the Snake is one of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, and it's slithering with mystery, intrigue, adaptability and wisdom. Whether you’re born under this sign or For the starting date of a zodiac year, there are two schools of thought in Chinese astrology: Chinese New Year or the Start of Spring. Chinese New Year, day 1 of the Chinese lunar year, falls somewhere in the period January 21 st to February 20 th. The Start of Spring is the 1 st of the 24 Solar Terms, beginning on February 3 rd or 4 th. Most Because the Chinese calendar defines the lunar month containing the winter solstice as the 11th month, the Lunar New Year usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Just like New Year according to the Gregorian calendar (January 1), Lunar New Year celebrations start on the night before the first day of the new year. The Chinese term “Ben Ming Nian” means this year is the same animal sign as your birth year and it is a reset of the 12-year cycle for your zodiac sign. Your animal year is notorious for being From snake-themed events to whether your luck is in: discover all you need to know about the coming Lunar New Year in our Year of the Snake 2025 series. There are 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac Also known as Shengxiao, the Chinese zodiac is basically a repeating 12-year cycle of animal signs. It is a lunar calendar wherein each year signifies a different zodiac animal. In order, the Chinese zodiac signs or animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Each sign is named after an animal, and each animal has its own unique characteristics. Do you know why the 12 Chinese zodiac animals are in the sequence above? The following story reveals legendary reasons, and some of the characteristics of the 12 animals. The story is widespread (and widely varying) among Chinese. Though it is made up, it What is Lunar New Year? Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, marks the start of a new zodiac cycle based on the Chinese lunar calendar. Each year, the date shifts within the Gregorian calendar. Lunar New Year is celebrated around the world, particularly in Asian countries like China, shown here (Beijing). Happy Lunar New Year! 2025 is the Chinese Lunar Year of the Snake — more specifically, the wood snake. Just like any new year, this is a time for new beginnings and endless opportunities. The As a result, every zodiac sign will torture, conflict and harm the Tai Sui in three years of the 12-year circle, thus the so-called three misfortunes. Besides, Ben Ming Nian (本命年 in Chinese) which is any year of your Chinese zodiac animal sign is regarded as a bad luck year for you. You should be more careful in these years. Every year, a heavenly stem (one of five elements, which fall into the yin or yang category) is paired with an earthly branch (one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals). This year the heavenly stem is The lunar calendar is also associated with 12 animal signs in Chinese zodiac, so every 12 years is regarded as a cycle. 2025 is a Year of the Snake, while 2026 turns to be a Year of the Horse. Chinese New Year Calendar (1930 - 2030) Rat is the 1st animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, coming after the Pig and before the Ox. Recent years of the Rat include 2020, 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960, and 1948, with the next Rat year in 2032 (Year of the Water Rat). It corresponds with the first branch of the earthly branch symbol zi. Rat is the 1st animal in the Chinese The Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) usually falls during 21 January and February 20, if your birthday is during this period in Gregorian date, you may belong to the zodiac sign of the last year. In the following table, the years’ starting and ending dates are clearly shown which help you determine your animal sign correctly. Every Chinese zodiac year from 1900–2031, full table and broken down by each zodiac. Find your year, animal, dates and element (metal, water, wood, fire, earth).
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